Dantsu Flame (Japanese: ダンツフレーム, Hepburn: Dantsu Fureemu; 19 April 1998 – 28 August 2005) was a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. He competed from 2000 to 2005, recording six wins in twenty-six starts, including the Takarazuka Kinen in 2002.
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Background
Dantsu Flame was a bay horse bred in Urakawa, Hokkaido, by Nobuoka Bokujo. He was sired by Brian's Time, an American-bred stallion who stood in Japan. His dam, Inter Pyrenees, was a daughter of Sanquirico.
In August 1999, he was offered at the Hokkaido Select Sale and purchased for ¥25 million by Tetsuji Yamamoto. He was sent into training with Kenji Yamauchi at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.
Racing career
2000: Two-year-old season
Dantsu Flame debuted on June 10, 2000, in a maiden race on the dirt at Hakodate Racecourse, finishing second. He won his next start on July 1 at Hakodate. Transitioning to turf, he won the Kikyo Stakes at Hanshin Racecourse on September 16 and the Nojigiku Stakes on September 30.
2001: Three-year-old season
In his first start of 2001, Dantsu Flame finished second in the Kisaragi Sho (GIII) at Kyoto Racecourse. He subsequently won the Arlington Cup (GIII) at Hanshin, defeating Kitasan Channel by a nose.
He contested the Satsuki Sho (GI) in April, finishing second to Agnes Tachyon. In May, he ran in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, GI) and finished second to Jungle Pocket. After a summer break, he finished fourth in the Kobe Shimbun Hai (GII) and fifth in the Kikuka Sho (GI). He concluded his three-year-old season by finishing fifth in the Mile Championship (GI).
2002: Four-year-old season
Returning in May 2002, Dantsu Flame finished fourth in the Keio Hai Spring Cup (GII). He then contested the Yasuda Kinen (GI) in June, finishing second by a nose to Admire Cozzene.
On June 23, 2002, Dantsu Flame entered the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) at Hanshin. Ridden by Shinji Fujita, he raced in mid-pack before advancing on the final turn. He engaged in a close struggle with Tsurumaru Boy in the final strides, winning by a nose to secure his first GI victory.
In the autumn, he finished fifth in the Mainichi Okan (GII), fourteenth in the Tennō Shō (Autumn) (GI), and seventeenth in the Mile Championship (GI).
2003: Five-year-old season
Dantsu Flame began his 2003 campaign by finishing fourth in the Yomiuri Milers Cup (GII) and fifth in the Tennō Shō (Spring) (GI). On May 18, he contested the Niigata Daishoten (GIII) at Niigata Racecourse. Carrying top weight of 59 kg, he won the race by a margin of 0.2 seconds over Toughness Star.
He finished fifth in the Yasuda Kinen and seventh in the Takarazuka Kinen. In September, it was announced that he had developed superficial flexor tendonitis in his right foreleg. He was retired from JRA racing on September 27, 2003.
2004–2005: Regional racing and retirement
Initially slated to stand as a breeding stallion, Dantsu Flame's tendonitis healed sufficiently for him to return to competition in the regional NAR circuit. He transferred to the stables of Tokuchi Utsunomiya at Arao Racecourse and later Kazuo Okada at Urawa Racecourse.
He made his NAR debut on October 20, 2004, at Arao, finishing second. He subsequently competed in three dirt graded races: the Urawa Kinen (9th), the Tokyo Daishoten (14th), and the Kawasaki Kinen (11th).
He was officially retired for a second time on June 10, 2005, and sent to the Chiho Keiba Kyoyo Center in Nasushiobara, to be retrained as a riding horse. Shortly after his arrival, he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. Dantsu Flame died from the illness on August 28, 2005, at the age of 7. A tombstone was erected in his name there, however his grave is currently not open to visits from the public.
Statistics
The following table details all 26 starts of Dantsu Flame's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records.
In popular culture
Dantsu Flame is depicted as an anthropomorphic character in the multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, developed by Cygames and voiced by Haruna Fukushima. She is a supporting character in the movie Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era.
Pedigree
Dantsu Flame was an inbred by 4 x 5 to Ribot (Romulus's sire), 5 x 5 to Big Game (Bride Elect's and Maria d'Oro's sire) and 5 x 5 to Nasrullah (Nashua's and Never Say Die's sire).